Northern localities have basically completed rice sowing for the 2017-2018 Winter-Spring crops (Illustrative image. Source VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Northern localities have basically completed rice sowing for the 2017-2018 Winter-Spring crops, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. As of mid-February, northern provinces had sowed rice on 935,000 hectares of Winter-Spring crops. They strive to complete rice sowing and planting by the end of this month. The southern region has completed rice sowing on 1.9 million hectares, up 2.4 percent of the plan, including 1.55 million hectares, up 2.6 percent of the plant, in the Mekong Delta. The February rice prices rose slightly in comparison to the previous month’s. IR50404 rice is sold at around 5,900-6,100 VND per kg, while the prices of OM 5451, OM 6976, OM 4218 range between 6,400 – 6,600 VND per kg. The price of Jasmine rice is at 6,600 VND per kg. Besides, other crops have been planted on 354,000 hectares, including 232,000 hectares of maize and 41,000 hectares of sweet potato. Short-term industrial crops made up of 155,200 hectares. According to the ministry, prolonged and severe cold spells killed 7,216 cattle and poultry in the north in the first two months of this year. The ministry has instructed localities to work with enterprises and seedling and animal production establishments to ensure seedling and animal supplies for production. – VNA
Urea prices rise as winter-spring rice crop starts Trung Chanh By Trung Chanh - The Saigon Times Daily CAN THO – Prices of urea products have strongly bounced back in the Mekong Delta compared to about a month ago, which is ascribed to rising demand when the region enters the winter-spring rice crop 2013-2014. According to many fertilizer trading companies in the delta, Phu My urea is being sold to farmers at VND8,400-8,600 a kilo while the factory is selling the product to agents at VND7,400-7,600 a kilo, growing an average of VND200 per kilo compared to a month ago.…... [read more]
Severe droughts are hitting Central Highlands regions, threatening thousands ha of rice and industrial crops, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In Kon Tum province, about 600 ha of rice and vegetables are facing serious shortage of water. Meanwhile, in Gia Lai and Dac Lac provinces thousands of ha of rice and industrial crops, especially coffee, are facing high risk. Farmers in Dac Nong province do not have enough water for irrigating about 500 ha of rice and over 10,000 ha of coffee in Dac Nong province are lack of water for irrigating. Droughts also raise the…... [read more]
Party and State leaders and local authorities joined teachers and students at a number of schools around the country to celebrate the beginning of the new school year.* Politburo member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and head of the CPVCC Commission for Organisation, To Huy Rua, attended the opening of the new school year at Lam Son High School for Gifted Students in the central province of Thanh Hoa on September 5.Addressing the ceremony, Secretary Rua praised the achievements made by the school’s teachers and students over the past years. He urged the provincial education…... [read more]
More than 475,000 students are sitting for the second session of university entrance exams nationwide on July 9-10. According to the Board for University Entrance Exams, the turnout rate represents 65 percent of the total 726,800 applications, down 6 percent as compared with the second exams session in 2006. This year, the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) University has opened two new faculties to train teachers of the Jarai ethnic minority language and physical education. Nearly 17,300 students have applied to sit for entrance exams to the university, including 3,723 ethnic minorities. In the first session, more than 514,000 students took…... [read more]
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Science, Technology and Environment Department Director Trieu Van Hung spoke to the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper about genetically modified corn. Is planting of genetically modified crops set to start next year? This has not been decided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The plant of genetically modified crops on a large scale must be implemented in accordance with very strict process, requiring the joint forces of the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resource and Environment, and Health. The process must undergo five phases. Safety tests on the pilot crop have…... [read more]